President Putin skipped the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at Ukraine's request

By bnl editorial staff Brazil's hosting of next month's BRICS summit is being overshadowed by the likely absence of two of the bloc's most powerful leaders, threatening to dent the gathering's geopolitical significance.

President Xi Jinping will miss a meeting of BRICS leaders in Rio de Janeiro, according to a Brazilian official familiar with the matter, marking the first time the Chinese leader has skipped the summit since taking power.